A flash of light – seems insignificant, doesn’t it? But what if that light were seen by someone with severe vision loss? It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but researchers in Australia have created a prototype bionic eye to help patients with certain types of vision loss. In particular, the device was used to help a patient suffering from an inherited condition that damages the retina.
Basically, the retina serves a similar role to the screen at a movie theatre. Images (i.e. our surroundings) are projected onto the screen. Without a proper screen, our brains can’t make sense of what images are being cast into our eyes.
So what did these researchers do? First, they created a special pair of glasses containing a camera. The camera sends signals to sensors implanted in a patient’s eye. These sensors then tell the brain what the original eye is unable to. Basically, it’s image -> camera -> sensors -> brain. The first patient ever fitted with such a device received the implant earlier this year. After the patient recovered from the surgery, doctors turned the device on. The first sign of success? A flash of light, followed by the rough outline of objects. Although it’s a far cry from fully restoring sight, it must be reassuring for a patient to see such progress.
To read more on the Bionic Vision program, click here.
仿生眼恢复病人的部分视力
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直截了当地讲，视网膜与电影院屏幕起类似的作用。把影像（如我们的环境）投射到电影屏幕。如果没有合适的屏幕，我们的大脑就无法理解有什么影像进入我们的眼睛。
那么这些研究人员做什么呢？首先，他们发明一对内含一台照相机的持殊眼镜。该照相机把信号传到植入一个眼睛的传感器上。然后这些传感器告诉大脑原来眼睛不能传达的信号。大概地说，就是从影像——照相机——传感器——到大脑。第一个曾装有这样一个装置的病人今年初进行了植入手术。该病人手术康复后，医生起动该装置，这是第一次成功信号？一次闪光后，就出现物体的大概轮廊。虽然这个仿生眼离完全恢复视力相去甚远，但这一定让看到这样进步的病人感到安慰。
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